Mouse-trap.



J. I. BRORBY.

MOUSE TRAP.

7 APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1913.

1,080,623, Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

dlfli orz WW 39 2 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB I. BRORBY, OF SHENANDOAH, IOWA.

MOUSE-TRAP.

Application filed February 13, 1913.

To all whom it may concern 3e it known that I, Jaoon I. BRounY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Shenandoah, in the county ofPage and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mouse-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in animaltraps, and particularly traps adapted to catch mice, rats, or otherrodents, and one object of my invention is to provide a trap which shallbe very sensitive, that is to say one in which a very slight pressureupon the trigger will release the same, and also one which can bereadily set and held open while being baited, without danger of catchingthe hand of the person setting and baiting the trap.

A further object of my invention is to provide a trap composed of fewparts, which can be quickly and easily assembled and taken apart.

A further object of my invention is to provide a trap which shall becheap to manufacture, durable and not likely to get out of order.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists incertain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts thepreferred form of which will be first described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then the ingention particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein the same part is designated by thesame reference numeral wherever it occurs, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a trap showing the same in set position; Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section of the construction shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 isa top plan view of the base or stationary jaw of the trap, with thepivotal jaw removed and the actuating spring partially cut off.

5 designates the base of the trap which preferably is of rectangularoutline as shown, and provided with the upturned sides 6 and theupturned front edge 7 which forms the stationary jaw of the trap. Theedge of the jaw may be formed with the saw teeth as indicated at 8, beleft straight or given any other configuration as may be founddesirable. Preferably and as shown the upturned sides 6 are of thegenerally triangular form shown with the front edge cut away to form ashoulder 9 as shown,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,1913.

Serial No. 748,126.

The movable jaw comprises the body portion 10 with the down turned frontportion 11, which forms the jaw proper and the part 11 may be formedinto the serrations 12 as shown, be left straight or given any otherconfiguration as may be found most desirable. The sides of the bodyportion are provided with the down turned flanges 13 and formed in theseflanges are the outwardly extending lugs 14: adapted to engage theshoulders 9 and form the pivotal connection between the two parts of thetrap. At the rear of the body portion 10 I provide a portion 15 whichextends at an angle to the portion 10 and is preferably formed bybending the sheet metal of which the trap is preferably formed. Thisportion 15 pr0- vides a convenient means by which the trap may be heldopen while placing the bait in position and also reset. The portion 15at its rear edge is provided with the depend ing flange 16 provided withthe opening 17 into which the end of the wire 18 forming the latchextends when the trap is set.

The latch 18 is guided adjacent its latching end by passing through anopening in a lug 19 carried by the base 5, and the other end of thelatch is shown as formed into an eye 20 with which engages the upwardlyextending loop 21 of the trigger. The form of trigger shown comprises apivot 22 extending out from one side of the loop 21 and pivoted in asuitable opening in one of the side plates 6. On the other side of theloop 21 is a backwardly-extending portion 23 which is doubled uponitself and forms a counter weight to balance the trigger. The forwardend of the trigger is formed into a U 2 1 provided with a suitable baitcarrying plate 25, and there is also provided a pivot 26 journaled in anupstanding lug 27 from the base 5. While I have shown this trigger asformed with wire it is evident that the same can be formed in any othermanner desired, as for instance by stamping the same out of sheet metal.

28 designates the coil spring for operating the trap, one end of thespring being connected to a lug 29 on the base 5, and the other end to alug 30 on the underside of the plate 10. It will be noted from Fig. 2that the spring is so connected to the plates 10 and 5 as to almost pullpast the center of oscillation of the plates. As a consequence thespring exerts a very slight downward pull on the movable jaw when thetrap is in set position, but as the jaw approaches the closed positionthis pull increases and is at its maximum when the jaws are closed. As aconsequence of this construction the trigger which is balanced by theloop 23 requires v trigger, whereby the movement of the bait but aslight touch to withdraw the latch 18 and release the jaw.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to thespecific form shown and described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An animal trap comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, pivotconnections on the edges of said jaws, a spring connected at one end tothe movable jaw in front of said pivot and at its other end to the fixedjaw in the rear of said pivot, an angular extension on the rear of themovable jaw having an opening therethrough, a sliding latch havingpivotal connection with means for actuating the same and adapted toenter the opening in the rear of the movable jaw when brought intoregistry therewith to hold said movable jaw in open position, and meansadapted to be operated by the animal to cause rearward movement of saidlatch to withdraw the same from the openingin the movable jaw to springthe trap.

2-. An animal trap comprising a fixed jaw,

a movable jaw, pivot connections between.

said jaws, a spring attached at one end to the movable jaw and at itsopposite end to the fixed aw, an angular extensionon the movable jawhaving an opening therethrough, a latch having its rear end mounted adacent the opening in the rear of the movable jaw and having its frontend extending through the side of the fixed jaw and providedintermediate its ends with a looped portion formlng a bearing, and atrigger having a looped portion intermedlate 1ts ends adapted to receivea balt-recelving plate and pivoted at one of 1ts ends in a bearingformed in the fixed jaw and at its opposite end in the loop formed inthe receiving plate by the animal will cause said trigger to releasesaid latch and spring the tra An animal trap comprising a fixed jawhaving the upper edge of the front portion of its side walls cut at alower plane than the rear portion of such walls and terminating at apoint short of the center thereof, whereby to form a forwardly extendingshoulder, and a movable jaw having portions struck from the edges of itsside walls and bent to seat against said shoulders, and a spring havingone of its ends connected to the stationary jaw and its other endconnected to the movable jaw to hold said jaws in pivotal relation witheach other.

4:. An animal trap comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, pivotconnections on the ed 'es of said aws a sor n connected D 7 2D at oneend to the fixed aw and at its opposite end to the movable aw, anangular extension on the movable jaw having an opening theretl'irough, asliding latch having its rear end mounted adjacent the opening in therear of the movable jaw adapted to be guided into said opening by theangular extension on the movable jaw when the rear end of said jaw isdepressed to set the trap, and means adapted to be operated by theanimal to cause rearward movement of said latch to withdraw the samefrom the opening in the movable jaw to spring the trap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in. presence of two witnesses.V

JACOB I. BRORBY.

lVitnesses:

LAURENCE NYE, E. F. VINOE-NT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

